Page 36 of How You See Me
“I’m not going to answer that.”
“Coward. One night stand or relationship?”
“Same answer.”
“Come on. I need to know what kind of travel companion you are. If we go out, do I need to worry about you disappearing into someone’s car for a quickie?”
“Jesus, Josie.”
“What? It’s a valid question. And it’s okay if you want to. I can take care of myself, and—”
“I’m not going anywhere. I promised Jordan I’d protect you, and I meant it.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Doesn’t matter.” My voice raises without consent. “I’m doing it either way.”
“Good cheesy puffs. You don’t have to yell.”
I shoot her a look. “Cheesy puffs? That’s not a nickname is it?”
She laughs, killing the tension. “No, but now that you mention it . . .”
“Nowas the right and only answer.”
“If you say so, Cheesy Puffs.” She winks, and I almost concede to letting her call me whatever she wants. “It was an exclamation point, by the way. Some people curse. I don’t.”
“Why not?”
“It just sounds stupid coming out of me.”
“You could never sound stupid.”
“That’s kind of you, but you don’t know me very well yet.” She lets out a quick laugh. “So, no one-night stands for you.”
“Either of us.”
“I didn’t agree to that,” she feigns obstinance, but there’s no hiding the coy twinkle behind it, despite the evening shadows.
“I can’t ensure your safety if you’re off with a stranger doing God knows what.”
“It would be sex, Staff Sergeant. The sole purpose of a one-night stand.”
“We’re not going to talk about that.”
“Why? We’re both adults. What if some sexy cowboy strikes my fancy in thewild, Wild West? What if I want to ride his—”
“Josie!”
“Horse!” She laughs. “I was going to say horse.”
“Sure, you were. I’m not letting you out of my sight. End of story.”
“Guess you’ll have to watch, then.”
She flashes me a wicked grin, and my brain creates the image before I can stop it—her tangled up with some random guy, moaning and lit up from the inside.
Sweat beads on the back of my neck. My stomach threatens to send the protein bar I ate an hour ago back into my throat.
